


A Life That's Good

by CityofEmeralds



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Buck helps feed Christopher, Buck is a Good Dad, Buckley-Diaz family, Canon Disabled Character, Cerebral Palsy, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Dad Eddie Diaz, Dad Evan "Buck" Buckley, Family Feels, M/M, adaptive equipment, non-verbal communication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25268251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CityofEmeralds/pseuds/CityofEmeralds
Summary: Buck helps feed Christopher during snack time.
Relationships: Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 241





	A Life That's Good

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place when Christopher is around two years old. Buck and Eddie have been dating for six months and recently, Buck has started taking on more parenting responsibilities.

Buck gazed lovingly at the small toddler in his arms. He met Christopher for the first time six months ago, shortly after falling head over heels for the boy’s father. Initially, the idea of co-parenting a child seemed daunting, especially one with cerebral palsy, but as soon as Buck laid eyes on the kid, he knew that he was up for the challenge. Buck’s love for Christopher increased every single day. He couldn’t imagine his life without his boys. 

After placing Christopher into the adapted high chair, Buck moved towards the cupboards where the snacks were stored. 

“Let’s see, what are we feeling like today?” He asked aloud, quickly scanning the shelves and extracting a box of Christopher’s favourite rice crackers. He then proceeded to open the fridge and grab a container of applesauce. 

“Lots of choices today, kid.”

A happy gurgle emanated from Chris as he thrashed his arms with excitement. 

Buck poured a small serving of applesauce into a plastic bowl and set it aside. Before sitting down to feed Chris, he made sure to fastened a bib around the child’s neck.

“‘Kay, Chris, I think we’re just about ready,” Buck said, making himself comfortable on a chair that was facing his son. 

“Do you want crackers?” Buck asked, holding up a rice cracker in front of the child’s face. “Or do you want apple sauce?” He repeated this action and raised the apple sauce into Christopher’s field of vision. Then, Buck held up both options so that Chris could make his decision. 

This communication strategy had been recommended to Buck and Eddie by a Speech and Language Pathologist in order to help Christopher form associations between words and objects. At the age of two, the toddler was still largely non-verbal. The family had been working on developing Chris’ expressive language by encouraging him to use his gazes, body movements and utterances. Buck felt so happy every time he chose to communicate with them. 

Christopher’s eyes flickered between the two options, clearly contemplating the question he had just been asked. After a few seconds, his eyes finally settled on the rice cracker. He clarified his choice even further by gesturing towards the same food. 

“Oh! You’d like the cracker. Thanks for showing me with your eyes and your hands. Good job, Chris!” The firefighter exclaimed enthusiastically, handing a rice cracker to his son. He waited until Christopher had a strong grip on the cracker before reaching into the box and popping one into his own mouth. 

Christopher hummed quietly, enjoying the food.

Buck continued to help himself to the snack, modelling the behaviour for Chris. Every once in a while, he’d check in with the child, asking if he would like to continue eating the crackers or eat the applesauce instead.

Eventually, Christopher directed his gaze towards the applesauce that was on the table. It took Buck a few seconds to notice this movement. Sure enough, when the firefighter asked Chris if he’d like to switch snacks, the child readily agreed. 

Now it was time for the hard part. 

Christopher’s occupational therapist had suggested that they incorporate adapted cutlery at mealtimes so that the toddler could eat more independently. As a result, they had purchased a spoon with a thick, foam wire attached to the end of the utensil. With some finagling, it could be bent around Christopher’s wrist, providing extra support. Buck had gotten much more adept at attaching the spoon correctly but for some reason, it always took him two or three tries to get it right. 

Buck made sure to warn Christopher before reaching out to touch his hand. The toddler would often startle when others moved his body, especially if he was unable to adequately prepare for the incoming sensation. This would lead to his muscles stiffening more than usual, which was simultaneously unproductive _and_ unethical. 

“I’m just gonna wrap this around your arm,” Buck explained, pausing for a moment in order to concentrate. “And…there we go! That's all yours, bud.” Placing the bowl of apple sauce in front of Christopher, he sat back on the chair and watched his son dig into the snack. 

“Hmmm…is that yummy, Chris? You’re doing such a good job eating all by yourself.” The firefighter couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride wash over him. Christopher had made so much progress over the short time that they'd known each other. 

Before long there was apple sauce smushed all over the toddler’s face. Somehow, he even managed to get some in his hair. Buck shook his head in amusement. How could a small toddler get so messy this quickly?

After a few minutes, Chris stopped eating for a moment as a mischievous grin formed on his face. Buck watched carefully as the toddler dug his spoon into the apple sauce and then extend his arm towards Buck. 

At first, Buck was confused, clearly not understanding what Chris was trying to tell him. 

“What’s up, kid?”

“Buh, buh,” Chris uttered, thrusting the spoon towards Buck’s face again. Suddenly, he realized what was going on. Christopher was trying to feed Buck some applesauce. 

“Christopher Diaz, are you sharing with me?” Buck asked, playfully, chuckling at this unexpected development. 

Chris threw his head back in excitement, his entire body extending. 

The firefighter briefly debated eating the apple sauce. In all honestly, he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of consuming toddler mush but as soon as he gazed into Chris’ bright blue eyes, he knew that he couldn’t refuse. Opening his mouth wide, he allowed Christopher to spoon the sauce into his mouth. 

Christopher was laughing so hard that it took him a couple of attempts in order to properly feed Buck. 

Just as Christopher’s laughs were quietening into giggles, Buck heard a noise that seemed to be coming from across the room. Glancing upwards, he noticed Eddie standing in the doorway. A smile immediately appeared on his face. 

“Hey, Chris, look who’s over there!” Buck exclaimed, pointing towards Eddie. 

Christopher quickly turned his head and squealed when he saw his dad. 

“What are you doing in here, mijo? Are you being silly?” Eddie said as he approached the table, tickling his son slightly, causing Chris’ laughter to fill the room once again. 

“Yeah, Chris decided his snack was so delicious that he wanted to share it with me. And although that was very kind of him, now we’ve both got applesauce in places that food shouldn’t be.” 

Eddie smiled affectionately towards his boyfriend, “Why don’t you wash up? I’m sure that having dried apple sauce caked onto your skin isn’t very comfortable. I’ve got this little one.”

Buck nodded, rising from the table. “Alright, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He pressed a kiss against Eddie’s lips and couldn’t help but notice how soft they were. Sighing, he leaned into the kiss even more, consumed by Eddie’s love. 

A loud bang interrupted their moment of zen. Both men turned to look at Christopher who was clearly trying to get their attention by hitting his bowl against the high chair tray. 

“Alright, I’m going, I’m going,” the firefighter laughed, finding the current situation hilarious. 

“We’ll be here when you get back, I promise,” Eddie said, sincerely, offering his assurance. 

“I know,” Buck nodded, pressing a final kiss to his boyfriend’s lips before bending down to kiss Christopher on top of his head. 

“Love you, Eds.”

“Love you, too, Buck.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi folks, 
> 
> I hope you liked this story. Most of the information about communication strategies and adaptive tools is from my own experience working with children living with disabilities in daycare/school settings. If you think that the portrayal of Christopher as a toddler with CP is inaccurate, please let me know so that I can make any changes that are necessary. 
> 
> Please leave a kudos or comment with your thoughts! I'd love to hear from you. 
> 
> ~City of Emeralds


End file.
